Vol. 39, No. 39 September 17, 2010

‘Survive to operate’ - page 8

Photo by Staff Sgt. Angela Ruiz

by Col. Lenny Richoux6th Air Mobility Wing commander

Last weekend we had the op-portunity to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001. My family participated in “Freedom Walk Tampa,” walking two miles along Bayshore Drive to commemorate the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Two of my three children were not even born yet on that day; Michele and I remind them each year of the good that came from that day — how the American Spirit was never so strong and the nations of the world stood behind us. I am very proud to be an American and to serve alongside each of you.

On Saturday and Sunday, I observed the Airmen of the 6th AMW and 927th ARW rehears-ing their “Ability To Survive and Operate” procedures at Thunder Village, our local training area. It was very hot and humid; I was proud to see you all take your training so seriously as we raise the bar on combat readiness. I wanted to give a shout out to Mr. Dave Cresswell, Master Sgt. Gene Strassner, Master Sgt. Darius Drummond and Tech Sgt. Caren Price, outstand-ing performers last weekend at Thunder Village. Our operational tempo of scheduled exercises and inspections is keeping most of us working at optimal capacity this month. The next scheduled

exercises are Sept. 18-21, for the Nuclear Operational Readiness Exercise and Sept. 22-29 for the Operational Readiness Exercise. During this period, a challenge will be maintaining the balance of physical and mental wellness. We, as leaders at every level are responsible for each other. Make an effort to familiarize yourselves and others with resources that are available for wellness and morale maintenance. The MacDill Chap-laincy is a great place to start.

I had a chance last week to speak at the Chapel’s Marriage Enrichment Seminar, “Building a Strong Marriage Team.” The Chapel coordinated with the Child Development Center to provide childcare services for couples who went out on an evening date after the seminar. I want to thank the Chapel Religious Support Team, Chaplain (Capt.) John Choi and Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Stew-art, Chaplain Assistant, for supporting our servicemembers, spouses and families with re-sources like this. Brenda Holms, the Budget Office Flight Chief, and her team directed funding to the Force Support Squadron for purchase of a portable sound system, TV and movie screen, and lounge umbrellas for the recently re-opened pool. This is a great recreation enhancement for the families and servicemembers who perform the mission here.

Two technicians in the 6th Med-ical Group making a difference by providing expert medical care were recently credentialed with national certifications. Staff Sgt. Courtney Vitamvas, NCOIC of Optometry and Senior Air-man Michelle Zander, Opthal-mic Technician, were awarded certifications as paraoptometric technicians by the American Optometric Association. Great work—keep it up.

I also want to welcome home 6th Security Forces Squadron’s Senior Airman William Ver-non, back from his tour in Iraq. He was a part of the 732d Expedi-tionary Security Forces Squadron performing duties as an M-240 machine gunner, trainer to the Iraqi police and was selected to the team responsible for safe-guarding this year’s Iraqi govern-ment elections.

Recently the actions of a 6th Operational Support Squadron and the 310th Airlift Squadron team saved a mission that left the USSOUTHCOM commander and five general officers stranded in Panama City, Panama. Recogni-tion for the save goes to Staff Sgt. Jon German, Mr. Marcus Holling, Capt. Danny Britton, Maj. Larry Silverman, Lt. Col. Pat Thompson and Lt. Col. Dan Axlund. This team’s support was critical to allowing the air-craft and crew to take off within

90 minutes of the decision being made to launch.

Staff Sgt. Cory Cuadrado, 6th Maintenance Squadron NCOIC Nondestructive Inspec-tion Laboratory, recently under-went an Air Force NDI Program

MacDill ThunderboltPublisher: Denise Palmer

Editor: Nick Stubbs

The MacDill Thunderbolt is published by Sunbelt Newspa-pers, Inc., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force. This commercial enterprise newspaper is an authorized publication for distribution to members of the U.S. military services on MacDill. Contents of the MacDill Thunderbolt are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, the Department of

the Air Force or the 6th Air Mobility Wing.The appearance of advertising in this publication, includ-

ing inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force, 6th Air Mobility Wing or Sunbelt Newspapers, Inc., of the products or service advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron.

Display advertising or classified advertising information may be obtained by calling 259-7455.

News items for the MacDill Thunderbolt can be submitted to the 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs office, Bldg. 299, at 8208 Hangar Loop Drive, Suite 14, MacDill AFB, FL 33621, or call the MacDill Thunderbolt staff at 828-4586. Email: thunder-bolt@MacDill.af.mil.

Deadline for article submissions is noon, Thursdays to appear in the next week’s publication. Articles received after deadline may be considered for future use. All submissions are considered for publication based on news value and time-liness.

Every article and photograph is edited for accuracy, clarity, brevity, conformance with the “Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual” and Air Force Instruction 35-101.

COMMANDER’s CORNERRemembering 9/11, this week at MacDill…

Photo by Senior Airman Nancy Hooks

Col. Lenny Richoux, 6th Air Mo-bility Wing commander (left), along with Chaplain (Maj.) David Buttrick walk into the base cha-pel Sept. 9 for a tour. Multiple ser-vices are provided by the base chapel.

See COMMANDER’S, Page 12

NEWS/FEATURES Your T-bolt TodayNEWS/FEATURES: page 4

‘There I was’

NEWS/FEATURES : page 14

Are you ready to deploy?

COMMUNITY: page 24

Events, movies, more...

NEWS/FEATURES: page 8 Survive to operate

See HONORING, Page 10

NEWS/FEATURES: page 20

Use caution around Alert Crew

NEWS/FEATURES: page 15 An explosive education

by Senior Master Sgt. Joe Wakey MacDill Top III president

I could feel the sun beating down on my neck as sweat rolled down my back. A refreshing breeze came off the calm bay

waters. It would be an otherwise peaceful morning on MacDill except for the sound of a helicopter hovering in the distance. Then I heard someone say, “they’re on their way.” I stood along with several hundred people who have assembled to pay their respects to a fall-en hero, Private First Class Paul O. Cuzzupe. PFC Cuzzupe was killed in the AOR on Aug. 9 2010. He was a 23-year-old combat medic.

I wondered if anyone here knew PFC Cuz-zupe personally. I did not know him, but I knew he was a medic and that was some-thing we had in common. When we wear this uniform we share a common bond. We are part of a fraternity and belong to the extend-ed military family. When a brother or sister is wounded or killed in action, it affects you at some level. At least it should.

Wearing the uniform is a symbol of your commitment to our nation and its values. As military personnel we took an oath to defend our nation and the constitution. You would not be wearing the uniform today if you did not take the oath seriously. For some of the younger servicemembers serving today, the events of 9/11 may have driven you to join the military. For some of our older members, it may have made you stay. Regardless of your reason, you are serving because you have answered a calling and are committed to a patriotic cause.

As the procession approached I came to at-tention and saluted. The hearse carrying our fallen hero slowly passes by. It is followed by several vehicles carrying the tearful, broken-hearted family members. My mind drifted away for a moment and I remember another fallen warrior, Capt. Kermit Evans.

Captain Evans grew up in Hollandale Mis-sissippi. He graduated from Mississippi State

University in 2000. After graduation, when many graduates move on to civilian careers, Captain Evans followed a military calling. He joined the Air Force in August 2001 and chose explosive ordnance disposal as his pro-fession. He was assigned to the 27th Civil Engineer Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico and was deployed to the 732d Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squad-ron. That’s where our paths crossed. I was the squadron first sergeant.

One night in December 2006, a helicop-ter carrying 16 passengers went down in a lake in the Anbar province. Captain Evans evacuated the damaged ship and plunged into the dark water. The exact details were unclear, but something went wrong and he drowned that night. He was 31 years old. He left behind a 13-month-old son and a loving wife. His death hit our squadron hard. We

NEWS/FEATURES: page 22

Air Force Ball

Commentary Honoring those who give all

Senior Master Sgt. Joe Wakey

TA Tid-Bit

Satisfactory grades must now be posted within 120 days of the end of the term (this includes “I” Incomplete grades). Refund ac-tions will be initiated if a satisfactory grade is not received by the deadline (120 days).

“Should an Airman present a grade af-ter the deadline, TA money will not be re-turned to the Airman since he/she failed to meet the completion requirements and recoupment action will not be stopped or suspended.”

[AFI36-2306 13-Aug-10, 5.8.2.3]

Tech Sgt. Traveller Hill6th Communications Squadron

I thought I joined the Air Force! It all be-gan with a call to notify me that I was de-ploying. I was told, “You have been tasked

to deploy to Baghdad.” Since I’m a satellite communication troop, I assumed that I would be going to do SATCOM work. Boy was I wrong! The first thing I learned from the Army was you are Sol-dier before your mili-tary occupational specialty (MOS), Air Force specialty code in Air Force terms. It wasn’t the first time I was wrong about a deploy-ment related matter and it turned out to be the beginning of a learning process that is still ongoing. After doing some digging on my deployment I came across the acronym C-S-T. “Wait, wait, wait!!!” Combat Skills Training? Fort Dix? Isn’t a Fort where the ARMY stays? Isn’t combat what the Army does? Why do I need combat training?” The answers to these questions and many more were answered over the next days, weeks and months. When it was all said and done, I was familiar with all sorts of new acro-nyms, terms, and phrases. JET (Joint Expe-ditionary Tasking) Airmen, PRT (Provincial Reconstruction Team), DOS (Department of State), PCC/PCI (pre combat check/inspec-tion), COIN OPS (Counter-insurgency opera-tions), and MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) were all second nature to me be-fore I even had the realization that I was no longer serving with the Air Force.

CST was a real eye opener! I’ve been through three Air Force technical schools and I thought I had a good general idea of what “training” would be like in a military environ-ment. Even considering that we were learn-ing combat skills, my thoughts were it will be physically tough, but pretty cut and dry. I had no idea what being a soldier entailed!

Every day during CST, our class was hit with a new and utterly foreign concept, and ev-ery day I was nearly overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge and training required to be a professional Solider in the United States Army. As the days piled up, so did the tasks and concepts we were responsible for learning and using on the next day. It was comprehensive and inclusive. Each day built on the next. After we went through the week long Combat Lifesaver class I was convinced that being a Soldier was the most demanding job in the world. Not only were we “putting rounds downrange,” we were also responsi-ble for knowing the signs of a collapsed lung, treating that condition, performing an IV if needed, calling in evac and covering our bud-dies while also trying to keep ourselves out of trouble. Add to the mix that everyone is wearing 50 pounds of body armor, carrying loaded weapons, live ammunition and the sit-uation got even more complex! We were im-mersed in an entirely new culture that was just as complex and required just as much discipline as my Air Force specialty. The on-ly difference was the focus of our tasks, and the consequences of failing those tasks. In my Air Force job, the immediate impact of making a mistake on an essential task might be the loss of a high dollar asset, or a cut line of communication. Either of these examples could result in harm to someone, but not in the same way that it would in the Army. Our training was hard and very realistic. There were a few examples given to us about how a mistake could be made in training and would result in injury to your battle buddy. This type of training by its very nature instilled in us the importance of paying attention to detail and being a professional much in the same way our AF job demands a high degree of professionalism.

When CST was over, and I finally got in country, I found myself at a remote patrol base outside of Karbala Iraq. My entire Forward Operating Base (FOB ) (another new acronym), would fit within the borders of my shop here at MacDill. Adjectives like

NEWS/FEATURESThere I was: Baghdad A tale of an Airman who Soldiered on

Photo courtesy Sgt. Hill

Staff Sgt. Traveller Hill, battle ready while working side by side with the U.S. Army.See DEPLOYED, Page 18

by Jeff DyalJoint Communications Support Element

The Joint Communications Support Element would like to announce the 30th running of the George G. Mattar Relay race Nov. 19. Annually, JCSE dedicates this relay race to three person-nel who perished aboard Florida Airlines Flight 90 when it crashed into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington D.C: Lt. Col. George Mattar (Commander), Maj. Ralph Herman (Operations Officer), and Sgt. Maj. James Dixon (Operations Sergeant Major).

Competition will consist of three separate divisions: military only, women only, and open. The winners of each division will be awarded a team trophy, in addition to individual trophies for the fastest male and female runners. Start forming your teams now to come join us for a great day of friendly competition. Teams will be comprised of 14 runners who will run a one-mile leg of the race, excluding the last runner who will complete the final 7/10s of the race. Please feel free to contact Jeff Dyal at 828-0688 or Master Sgt. John Schaefer at 828-0679 for more information.

30th Annual Mattar Relay

YOU ARE INVITED TOATTEND:

The MacDill National POW/MIARecognition Ceremony

Where: MacDill Base Flag PoleWhen: 17 September 2010 @ 0800

National POW/MIA Recognition Day

by Tech. Sgt. Bryan Gatewood6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

“ALARM RED, MOPP 4!” “ALARM RED, MOPP 4!”

These are words Team MacDill members will hear during the upcoming operational readi-ness exercise and operational readiness inspec-tion as stated recently by Col. David Cohen, 6th Air Mobility Wing vice commander.

The purpose of an ORE/ORI to identify readi-ness capability of operational units and under-stand where shortfalls may be and how to fix them in order to be ready for whatever the na-tional command authority decides.

For the ORE/ORI Colonel Cohen stated his intent, “We will survive to operate!”

“The intent is a means to the end,” he said. “The end is getting the mission done, and for us the mission is KC-135 refueling aircraft, the aeromedical side prepping patients and moving them, and everything else that supports that.”

In order to get the mission done Colonel Co-hen stated, everyone needs to “first and fore-most understand their mission, understand the bigger picture of what the wing is doing and understand where you fit into that picture. Be-cause at the end of the day the goal is not to be able to put your chem gear on, the goal is to put your chem gear on to be able to survive so we can get the base and mission reconstituted and start flying airplanes and moving patients.”

In addition to understanding their mission Colonel Cohen added, “This is not fun and games, or an exercise just because we want to take people’s weekends and time away. This is serious and they need to live the seriousness and portray that sense of urgency to the inspec-tors as we’re going through this.”

The exercise is only a seven to 10 day process from start to finish and according to Colonel Cohen some bases relax and lose points during

‘We will survive to operate’

Photo by Staff Sgt. Angela Ruiz

Master Sgt. Albert Anthony, 927th Air Refuel-ing Wing, straps on his helmet during a train-ing exercise at Camp Thunder, MacDill AFB, Sept. 11. More than 300 Airmen from the 6th Air Mobility Wing and the 927th Air Refueling Wing participated in the training in prepara-tion for the upcoming Operational Readiness Exercise.

NEWS/FEATURES

See SURVIVE, Page 10

the redeployment phase. “It’s not over until the last airplane lands here at MacDill,” he said.

“So everyone needs to make sure they have that same focus -- their game faces on, throughout the entire process.”

Colonel Cohen has no doubt with the pride, professionalism, integrity and commitment of the Airmen from the 6thAir Mobility Wing, 927th Air Refueling Wing and 73rd Ariel Port Squadron out of Fort Worth, Texas, that Team MacDill will pass the inspection with no less than a satisfac-tory rating.

“Everybody wants to get that brass ring, they want to be the best and here’s our opportunity to prove it. We will survive to operate!”

SURVIVEFrom Page 8

mourned the loss and struggled to push past the emotions. We eventu-ally regained focus and completed our mission.

Completing our mission is what we are paid, and called, to do. It’s not always easy and the price can be staggering. As I write this article, an-other fallen warrior is brought home to rest. Lance Corporal Nathaniel J.A. Schultz, USMC was killed Aug. 21 while supporting operations in Afghanistan. He had only been in the AOR for one month and was 19 years old.

Our fallen heroes come from different age groups and hold different levels of responsibilities and jobs. The circumstances of their deaths dif-fer, but it’s not the differences that matter. What matters is that, like them, we have important jobs to do. Regardless if you kick doors down for a living, treat the wounded or get aircraft in the air, your job is im-portant. There are no insignificant duties and there is no insignificant loss.

We all work toward a common goal – freedom! As another year pass-es, another Sept. 11 arrived. Now more than ever, it’s imperative that we refocus on our mission and why we serve. We need to uphold the stan-dards that we hold in common with the men and women who have sac-rificed their lives for freedom. We must honor their memory, remember their lives and their families.

HONORINGFrom Page 3

Office inspection. Their assessment revealed the exceptional level of technical professional-ism and dedication he and his staff demon-strate daily.

We are all proud of your accomplishments. Keep up the good work.

I would also like to emphasize the impor-tance of our cultural observations. We are cele-

brating Hispanic Heritage Month with the Oct. 8, Hispanic Heritage Luncheon. The point of contact is Master Sgt. Ivan Crespo, and he’s been doing an excellent job drumming up par-ticipation. Please check out the advertisement in the paper for specific dates and times of the upcoming celebration. I encourage you all to support this important commemoration.

The Summer season is about over and Fall is around the corner. Thank you all for keep-ing each other safe over the Summer. The Fall presents its own safety challenges; keep safety in mind on and off duty, at home and at work.

I am, again, very proud to serve with you in the finest Air Mobility Wing on the face of the planet! Keep up the great work.

COMMANDER’SFrom Page 2

Are you ready to deploy?

Master Sgt. Darius Drummond, 6th Air Mobility Wing Exercise and Plans NCOIC, simulates firing with his gas mask and M-16 during the class portion of the Combat Arms Training and Main-tenance at MacDill Air Force Base, Fl., Sept. 9. Updated CATM training is required before deployment.

Staff Sgt. Tony Resendiz, 6th Comptroller Squad-ron emergency action controller, performs the pushup portion of the physical assessment admin-istered by Chief Master Sgt. (ret) Miriam Mitchell, Fitness Assessment Cell team member.

Senior Airman Jeremy Vanvalkenburgh, 6th Maintenance Opera-tions Squadron main-tenance analyst, runs during the 1.5-mile portion of the physical assessment at Short Fitness Center.

Staff Sgt. Cedric Parson, 6th Aerospace Medicine Squadron public heath technician, receives immunizations at the 6th Medical Operations Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base, Sept. 9. Updated immunizations are a requirement before an Air Force member can deploy.

Photos by Senior Airman Linzi Joseph

by Nick StubbsThunderbolt editor

Real bombs; real explosions; real world.That was the idea behind a demonstration

and training event hosted by the 6th Air Mo-bility Wing Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit for members of the Tampa Transportation Se-curity Agency Wednesday at MacDill Air Force Base.

Members of the TSA, which is part of U.S. Homeland Security, were on base to get up close and personal with live explosives, some-thing they rarely get the opportunity to do, said Steve Metzler, explosive specialist manager for the Tampa TSA’s explosives security unit. Usu-ally, the unit trains with dummy bombs and explosives in the classroom, video and photog-raphy providing the boom.

“This (live training at MacDill) was by far the best training we will ever get,” said Mr. Metzler. “There’s simulation, and there’s Hol-lywood, and then there’s the real thing.”

The real thing Wednesday was demonstra-tions of explosions from blasting caps all the way up to five pounds of C-4 plastic explosive,

MacDill EOD pros demo explosives for Tampa TSA officers

Photo by Staff Sgt. Angela Ruiz

Tampa International Airport Transportation Se-curity Administration member detonates an ex-plosive device during a joint training between the 6th Civil Engineer Squadron Emergency Ordnance Disposal team and TPA TIA at Mac-Dill Sept. 8.

Photo by Senior Airman Nancy Hooks

Staff Sgt Brad Manco, 6th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, shows Tampa International Airport Transportation Security Administration members the rem-nants of an explosion during the joint training between the 6 CES EOD team and TIA TSA, Sept. 8 at MacDill Air Force Base. There were approximately 25 attendees from the TIA to help en-hance security at the airport.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Angela Ruiz

Edward Disla, Tampa International Airport Transportation Security Administration super-visory officer, detonates an explosion while Senior Airman Seth Parrish, 6th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal tech-nician overlooks.See EXPLOSIVES, Page 20

“small” or “remote” do not do justice to FOB Husayniyah. We didn’t have anything but CHU’s (Contained Housing Units), and a chow tent. There was no shoppette, no BX/PX, no recreation cen-ter, and no other AF personnel. I deployed to my FOB with the only other AF per-son on the base. To-gether, the two of us made up the entire Air Force contingent. While being tasked to a Provincial Recon-

struction Team my role was to provide communications sup-port to the PRT. My counterpart’s mission was to provide supply and logistics support to the PRT. When I arrived, I was ready and felt confident in my Army training. I hoped I didn’t have to use it, but if some-thing happened, I felt ready. Shortly after I got to the base I had a chance to finally snap back into Air Force mode. The Ar-

my unit needed some assistance with a communications prob-lem that had become highly visible. It was then that I realized my value to the mis-sion. Not only could I be depended on to make the right deci-sions in a combat sit-uation, but I was also a highly-trained tech-nician in my arena—satellite communica-tions. In that moment I proved to myself and my Army counterparts that I was much more

than just some Air Force dude occupying space at the FOB. I could hold my own on a convoy as well as re-establish a lost uplink with a satellite 22,000 miles away. I was utterly confident in my ability to carry out almost any task I was presented. I credit this to both the training I received in my Air Force and Ca-reer, and the Combat Training I received from the Army.

If there were one thing that I took from this experience, it was this—training in your AFSC is essential to your career in the Air Force, but training to defend our way of life is essential to defend-ing this great country we call United States of America. I real-ized that many of us within the Air Force spend most of our career training in a particular career field to gain proficiency in jobs in fields like com-munications, services, civil engineering and maintenance, but the Army has taken an approach to identify

themselves as Sol-diers first, then as their MOSs. I’m not here to say their way of thinking is best but it was an experi-ence to see how they go about their daily jobs as compared to my beloved Air Force. We both train for war and together as one team we’ve proven there is more than one way to win in the mountains of Afghan-istan or in the world of cyberspace. Some-times we forget that the mission could be right around the cor-ner, and that training is our job whether is combat skills or tech-nical training. To a certain extent train-ing is our job, but at some point that prep-aration must be put into action. In my sit-uation, it would have been foolish to neglect the training presented to me. I would have been worthless and a danger to myself and my comrades. When the training is over, and its game time, your team is counting on you to be prepared so they can depend

on you to get the job done. In the Air Force that job is communi-cations. While with the Army it was com-bat communications and being soldier ready to defend him-self and his team no matter what the situ-ation. To my surprise, the training I received from both services complimented each other brilliantly and allowed me to expe-rience a very unique and productive tour. If you ever find yourself tasked to deploy with another service, I’d be willing to bet that the training you re-ceive will be just as, if not more, intense and thorough as your AF training. The Army did a fantastic job of preparing me for my tour, and I’m thank-ful for the opportunity to experience a new service from the in-side out. Having said all that, I must men-tion that I’d be lying if I said I didn’t stop and kiss the MacDill AFB sign at the Dale Mabry gate when I got home!!!

AIR POWER!!

DEPLOyEDFrom Page 4

the maximum amount permitted for live explosions on base. On display were several bombs built by EOD pros, including a shoe

bomb, like the one worn by Richard Reid in his failed attempt to bring down American Airlines flight 63 on Dec. 22, 2001, and others typical of what TSA officers might encounter on an aircraft.

“Our primary objective is to stop the introduction of explosives on air-craft,” said Mr. Metzler, who said most of the 45,000 TSA officers have never had the chance to see a real bomb, or see one go off.

That dose of reality is what EOD had in mind when accepted a request from the TSA to stage the “test event,” at MacDill, said Thomas Webber, EOD support specialist. The training demo may become a regular event based on the success of this week’s trial.

“We have a good relationship with TSA because there are so many for-mer military members in TSA,” said Mr. Webber. “They asked us (to stage the demo) because we have the facilities and the expertise.”

The event went very well, said Mr. Metzler, who said it has been the talk at TSA, with several TSA officers unable to attend looking forward to attending in the future.

“We are looking at repeating the events after this test run,” said Mr. Webber.

Both men agree the training demonstrations could be very beneficial to TSA members, perhaps helping them prevent a future disaster by bet-ter understanding the materials they may come up against.

“The important thing is understanding the real-world effects, as op-posed to Hollywood,” said Mr. Webber. “There’s a big difference.”

ExPLOSIVESFrom Page 15

Aircrews from the 6th Air Mobility Wing and 927 Air Refueling Wing conduct regular exercises throughout the year to validate our capability to execute a variety of missions.

The next such exercise is scheduled for Sept. 19 through 21. During these exercises, aircrews at times drive in an expeditious manner at speeds above posted speed limits from a variety of lo-cations toward the flight line.

To allow for quick aircrew responses and to ensure the safety of the base populace it is MANDATORY that all drivers yield to these vehicles. Alert Crew vehicles can be easily recognized as large blue vans with a flashing red light on the roof. A magnetic sign with the phrase “ALERT FORCE” is posted on the side of the vehicle.

If you encounter an Alert Crew vehicle responding to the flight line (lights flashing) please safely pull to the side of the road to allow them to pass. If you are at a stop sign, please pause and allow the responding vehicle(s) to proceed first. There may be numerous Alert Crew vehicles responding. Thank you for your cooperation in helping MacDill Air Force Base proudly perform its missions.

(Courtesy of 6th Air Mobility Wing Plans Operations)

Exercise caution around responding Alert Crew vehicles

Friday - 7 p.m. Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (PG)

MACDILL COMMUNITYEVENTS

Protestant servicesSunday - 9 a.m., Traditional Service10:30 a.m., Religious Education, Noon, Gospel Service& 9 a.m., service, FamCamp Multipurpose CenterWednesday - 10:30 a.m., Women of the ChapelThursday - 11:30 a.m., Officers’ Christian FellowshipFor more information regarding the Chapel or Chapel servic-es, call 828-3621.

Catholic servicesSaturday - Mass, 5:30 p.m.Sunday - Mass, 10:30 a.m.Monday to Thursday: Mass, 12:10 p.m.Saturday - Sacrament of Reconciliation, 4:30 p.m., (or by ap-pointment) Islamic servicesFriday - 1:15 p.m.Jewish services - Call 828-3621

CHAPEL SCHEDULE

AT THE MOVIESSaturday - 7 p.m.

Charlie St. Cloud (PG-13)

Saturday - 3 p.m. No showing

$4 for adults / $2 for children 828-2780

Friday Bayshore ClubMembership Breakfast from 6:30-8:30 a.m.

MacDill Lanes9 Pin No Tap Tournament starting at 5:30 p.m. $12 per person.

Saturday–SundayBase PoolFree recreational swimming from 11a.m.-6p.m. For more information call Outdoor Recreation 828-4982.

Monday SeaScapes Beach ClubValue Meal! 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 1/3lb. burger topped your way! Includes fries & small soda $5.50

Tuesday-Friday Base PoolFree Adult Fitness Swim from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. *For Active duty mili-tary personnel & DoD Civilians only

Tuesday Airman & Family Readiness Center Healthy Relationships for Single Service Member from 6-7:30 p.m.

Wednesday MacDill Family Resource Center (Brandon) Terrific Toddlers from 9-11 a.m.

MacDill Family Resource Center (Brandon)Baby Basics from 1-3 p.m.

Thursday Airman & Family Readiness CenterBuilding a Better Credit Report from 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Here, here and here!Master Sgt. Buffy Kooyer, 6th Air Mobility Wing Legal Office paralegal, witnesses the execution of an individual’s will during a will execution ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base, Sept. 9.

Photo by Senior Airman Linzi Joseph